Sigourney Weaver Joins Hugh Jackman In Neill Blomkamp's Chappie

Making Elysium, writer/director Neill Blomkamp cast Matt Damon in his first live-action science-fiction role, but for the filmmaker's next project he is turning to not only a sci-fi pro, but a sci-fi legend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Blomkamp's Chappie has just added Ellen Ripley herself, Sigourney Weaver to the cast, the actress joining an ensemble that includes Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel and Sharlto Copley.

The film is based on a short film called Tetra Vaal that Blomkamp directed prior to breaking out with District 9 back in 2009, and he co-wrte the script with Terri Tatchell. THR has an official logline from the movie, which makes the project sound like an oddball little sci-fi tale:

“After being kidnapped by two criminals during birth, Chappie becomes the adopted son in a strange and dysfunctional family. Chappie is preternaturally gifted, one of a kind, a prodigy. He also happens to be a robot.”

While we had to wait four years between Blomkamp's feature debut and Elysium, the wait for the filmmaker's third project is going to be much, much shorter. It's only been a little more than two months since the release of his last feature, but Chappie has apparently already begun production down in Johannesburg, South Africa. Just like the director's last film, Sony Pictures and Media Rights Capital are teaming up to make the movie, and it's already been announced that it will be in theaters on March 27, 2015. The rest of the cast beyond the actors mentioned above include actors Ninja, Yolandi Visser, Jose Pablo Cantillo and Brandon Auret.

While it won't really give you any insight regarding the film's plot, you can watch Tetra Vaal below to get a sense of the world that the new feature will be set in, and possibly even the design of the lead character (who Copley will be voicing).

After a big year in 2012 that includes features like The Cabin in the Woods, and Red Lights as well as the miniseries Political Animals, Weaver has been completely absent from the feature and television world in 2013 - but it won't be long until she is back. As revealed back in August, she is part of the big cast of Ridley Scott's biblical epic Exodus, which has already begun filming. She is also attached to star in the Mortal Instruments sequel City of Ashes, which is apparently now back on track. Then, of course, there are James Cameron's Avatar sequels, but we won't see the first one of those until December 2016.